NFL preview: 49ers look forward to better outcome

Updated 6:52 pm, Saturday, August 31, 2013

Justin Smith (left) said he doesn't want to think about what might have been, only what could be.

Justin Smith (left) said he doesn't want to think about what might have been, only what could be.

Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

NFL preview: 49ers look forward to better outcome

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Before the first practice of training camp in July, Jim Harbaugh and one of his team captains, All-Pro defensive tackle Justin Smith, set the tone.

The first question posed to Harbaugh referenced some historical data: The loser of the Super Bowl hasn't won the NFL's title game the next season in 41 years.

Harbaugh harrumphed at the line of questioning.

"Firm believer that if you have to talk about what you did yesterday, no matter how good it was, then you haven't done much today," Harbaugh said. "So, that's where we're at today: going forward, trying to achieve things today."

Moments later, Smith was more concise when posed a question about the past: Did he think his torn triceps last year was a reason the 49ers lost the Super Bowl?

"I think we're going to look to 2013," Smith said.

Seven months after coming up 5 yards short in a Super Bowl loss to the Ravens, the 49ers are clearly not interested in re-examining their painful past. And with good reason: It's far more pleasant to focus on their bright future.

After following an NFC Championship Game loss two seasons ago with a Super Bowl defeat last season, the pieces are in place for the 49ers to take the next logical step.

By various measures, their roster is stocked with talent. Of their 22 projected starters, nine are first-round picks, and six were selected with top-11 overall selections. Including their specialists, 15 of their 25 starters have earned Pro Bowl honors during their career, with 11 being named to the all-star game since 2011.

In addition, much of their core group remains in its prime: Eighteen of their 22 offensive and defensive starters are under 30.

This season, the 49ers will begin their quest for their first Super Bowl championship in 19 years with an ingredient they haven't possessed since the last Steve-Young-led title: one of the NFL's most dynamic quarterbacks.

Unlike last year, the 49ers will open the season with Colin Kaepernick as their starter. Based on his training-camp performance, the third-year QB appears poised to top his breakout 2012 season, in which he was a dual-threat sensation: He posted a 90 passer rating or higher in eight of 10 starts and established a single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback (181 against Green Bay in the divisional playoffs).

This season, however, the 49ers don't have the coveted depth they possessed last year when Kaepernick began the season as Alex Smith's backup.

The struggles of the 49ers' reserve quarterbacks in the summer highlighted a reality that holds true for most teams: The 49ers' season could be torpedoed if their starting quarterback is injured.

Harbaugh and his players don't want to hear about history, but plenty of recent Super Bowl losers were hurt the following season when their quarterback was sidelined: The 2007 Patriots (16-0), 2004 Eagles (13-3), 2002 Raiders (12-4) and 2001 Rams (14-2) each missed the playoffs the next season after injuries shelved Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb, Rich Gannon and Kurt Warner, respectively, for at least seven games.

Injuries in the offseason have created question marks for the 49ers on offense and defense.

Without wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who is sidelined indefinitely with a torn Achilles tendon, Anquan Boldin is the only established starting wideout. The 49ers will also be without No. 3 cornerback Chris Culliver (torn knee ligament), which has their secondary less equipped to handle a difficult schedule: Seven of their 16 games will be against quarterbacks who ranked among the league's top nine in passer rating in 2012.

Still, most teams would teams gladly would swap rosters with the 49ers, whose excruciatingly close call last season won't inspire any sympathy.

"We understand the situation," Whitner said. "There's a target on us. We are the hunted."

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